Music Supervision in India

A music supervisor is someone that is proactive in combining music with visual media. If you want to know more about the role of a music supervisor, you can read this article. Looking at the description, it's evident that there are no limitations to this job. You have to be very empathetic to do this because you have to be able to put yourself in all these characters’ lives and feel what they’re feeling. However, it's a lot more than having good taste in music. Sure, that's a part of it, but it encompasses many things. You have to deal with budgets, negotiating fees, researching copyrights. There is a lack of knowledge about the business of music in India and the understanding of making music as a full-time career. Music supervisors need to have a broad understanding of the workings of copyrights, publishing, licensing and need to keep a lookout for new and upcoming artists. Plus, there are not many music publishers in India who can provide the opportunity in this regard, and there is also the absence of translucency in the communication from the client to the artist.

In an ever-growing music industry, Bollywood still holds centre-stage and to the most part, solely looks into the commercial viability of the work due to which the content suffers, as this allows little space for experimentation and exploration of the value and importance of music in the audiovisual spectrum and narrative. While there are rare exceptions, There is a cluttered, nuclear network of musicians, music directors and composers who are not exposed to the diverse opportunities in creating art to push the boundaries of its forms and narrative, to be able to do justice to the music created for a brand. Much music created/synced broadly for these brands is usually stock music or adhere to the dull recipe that is tasteless and reflects poorly on the brand as it aims to depict generalized emotion for an extremely individualistic and personalised requirement. - Emmanuel Panja, Music Supervisor and Composer, Kinsane Entertainment

THE IDEAL SCENARIO

An artist needs to have a comprehensive portfolio of music for any purpose fitting the needs of the music supervisor ready. At the same time, the music needs to be copyright protected and registered with the PRO so that the music supervisor can efficiently use the music and can allocate the share of revenue generated to the publisher and the writer. On the other hand, the Music Supervisor needs to have an updated list of all kinds of musical artists for all their needs including session musicians, producers, engineers, composers. It's important to be on the lookout for new talent always and also understand the latest trends and embrace them from time to time. The Music Supervisor also needs to get in touch with the artist directly or through their representation and ask for permission for releasing their music synced with the visual media or work with them on works for hire basis to compose a new piece and compensate them for their work accordingly. This includes an upfront fee and a possibility of performance royalties if mentioned in the works for hire contract. Due to the lack of a prominent PRO (Performance Rights Organisation) in India, and feeble copyright law - the artists are unable to safeguard their work and monetise them. IPRS has been MIA for a long time and India, now more than ever, needs a fully functional PRO to help the Independent Artists in India be able to understand and believe that making money through music doesn't have to lead to being a DJ and they don't necessarily have to survive with a secondary job that may or may not be related to music.

BRANDS AND MUSIC

Recorded music has been a loss leader for artists big and small for over a decade – a means by which to make money from other channels like touring or merch or brand partnerships. However, more and more companies that would have traditionally not cared about music are starting to see more value in it. A brand that may have gone to a stock library in the past is now carrying a little bit more about putting heart and soul into their videos now, and the most significant inroad made in this regard is with Puma's 'Suede Gully'. Puma along with DDB Mudra rolled out its campaign where it highlights the street culture of India. The music video captured together three street art forms - Graffiti, Rap and Dance. Being promoted as a 'multi-lingual street collaboration', the video features eight rappers, seven street artists and 36 hip-hop dancers from Mumbai, Delhi, Shillong, and Madurai, where the film was shot over eight days. In the film, we see glimpses of a graffiti-covered local train in Mumbai, a sprayed staircase in Shillong, as well as 'street shots' from Madurai and Delhi. [embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xt7e8jIIO8w[/embedyt] I think a significant trend not just for music but everything this year has been an embrace of diversity. You see it in movies and ads, and I think it does trickle down to the music supervisor's job as well. Brands are using licensed music to represent an authentic voice. Another excellent example of this is Levi’s “Circles.” The upbeat spot centres around the universal culture of dance circles, and Jain’s “Makeba” is the perfect track to get everyone moving – in Levi’s jeans, of course. [embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgcgFP9nGqY[/embedyt]

CONCLUSION

IPRS has been en route to recovery with the Achille Forler as their counseller, and we are yet to hear about any promising developments - In the end, a visual media has a massive impact on the audience when it's paired with the right music, and hence the job of the music supervisor is essential to the field. However, a lack of support from the system set in place is eroding the possibility of successful music culture for the music supervisors, artists and eventually the audience. Meanwhile, brands are working hard to find the right talent to help them convey the message of their brand to the audience, and Puma's take with Suede Gully is a brilliant way to showcase how music supervision in India can be a driving force for many upcoming independent artists in India.